Prisoners

Keller Dover is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is an RV that had been parked on their s…

Why it stayed with me

It is a brutal moral pressure test. The film asks what a person becomes when love, fear, and uncertainty destroy the boundary between justice and revenge.

Key points

• Desperation can make certainty feel moral.
• The atmosphere is as important as the plot.
• The film works because every decision feels contaminated.

Film details

• Director: Denis Villeneuve
• Year: 2013
• Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery
• Runtime: 153 min
• Personal rating: 8/10
• IMDb: tt1392214

Cast notes

Main cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis.